Your guide to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Orlando) and Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter (London)

Menu

Tag Archives: rides

I recommend going through the “normal” or full lines for every ride the first time you ride them. The ride queues are an experience unto themselves and often help to set-up the story for the ride experience and immerse you in the environment which really adds to the experience.

Ride Experience

Many of the rides leverage the most technically advanced systems in the world, with intricately timed visual, audio and engineering systems that have to work in sync to produce the experience… so at times there are glitches!

If a ride has any complications at all… such as poor/missing audio, screens that do not display or anything else like that that seems “off” – don’t be shy and definitely tell the ride operator as soon as you exit the ride vehicle – and before leaving the loading area – that you experienced an issue.

Be as detailed as possible with describing the issue(s), at what point during the ride the issue happened, and they will most often be very grateful and allow you to re-ride immediately by going through the Child Swap area and not having to wait in line again! For 3-D rides, you will surrender your glasses as usual for security/sanitary reasons, and they will give you a new clean pair before you re-board the ride.

Single Riders Line

After your first ride, you could consider the “Single Riders” line (if available) because you can get back on the ride usually quicker, but at the expense of bypassing most of the themed queue (e.g. a shortcut). In this line, you must go 1 at a time even if you are in a group, as the Single Rider line is used to fill-in the ride vehicles whenever there is an odd numbered party and empty seat. Often your wait will be less than half of the normal posted time, but a lot of people have caught onto this technique, and sometimes it’s actually the same amount of time or longer!

Most importantly: have fun, do everything you can, and immerse yourself in the experience!

When visiting Universal Orlando Resort, I recommend travelling as light as possible.

Carrying Bags

I do not recommend bringing a bag, purse or backpack at all, and only carrying what you can fit into your pockets (money, ID, cards, sunglasses, tickets, small camera/phone). That way you can avoid the extra time and stress of using the free lockers (for the 1st hour) outside every ride.

I usually go straight from the airport on arrival to the parks since you can’t check-into the hotel until 4pm anyway. So, I usually just pack a small backpack for the trip, and then rent a standard locker which can be found just inside the park near the entrance/exit of whatever park we plan to be in the latest that day – and leave my bag there all day instead of carrying it around.

For larger bags like roll-aboards (which I recommend not using unless you are going for more than 3 days), there is a Guest Services area right inside the gate after you enter Universal Studios Florida (not Islands of Adventure) called “Studio Audience Center” that will hold the bag for you for free all day with a photo ID presented at drop-off and pickup.

Using Lockers

None of the rides allow bags or loose items of any kind, and every ride has a bank of adjacent lockers for these items. The ride staff are very strict about enforcing this policy, and there are several checkpoints along the ride queue to ensure you are not bringing any bulky items with you. I have seen people actually at the point of boarding a ride vehicle with those small drawstring backpacks or hip pouches that take up no room and could be sat “against”, but they were asked to leave the vehicle and were directed to the locker area which is outside the entire ride and line area, in order to store their belongings and get back in line.

Using the ride lockers is by far the biggest time drain and nightmare experience, because the locker bays are very cramped, and of all the people who do not know any better are fumbling through the whole process of “renting” a locker or re-opening a locker which involves various steps on a single touch-screen that serves a bank of lockers, including:

Language selection

Action desired (rent a locker or open a locker)

Select size of locker (certain locations)

Select location of locker (top, middle, bottom)

Estimated time needed

Enter 6-digit security code

Complete payment (for usage beyond the 1st hour)

Fingerprint scan (certain locations)

… not to mention remembering where your locker is in the first place, and then working your way through all of the people to actually get to the touch-screen that services that bank of lockers.

If you travel “light”, then that time will not be needed and you can walk right into the line for the ride without having to stop and “rent” or “re-open” a locker.

Shopping

As with carrying around bags or backpacks, I recommend the same for shopping bags. Save your shopping for the end of the day when you don’t plan to go on any more rides. Shops are open up to an hour after park closing, and the resort shops along CityWalk and inside the hotels are open much later and often carry much of the same things you can get in the parks.

Most, if not all, of the shops will ship your purchases to your home address via UPS if desired, and if you are staying at a hotel on property, they will actually deliver your purchases to your room so you don’t have to carry them around!

Welcome

ExperienceTheWizard.com focuses on coverage of our visits to, and news about, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Orlando) and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter (London) featuring photos and reviews by Owner & Curator, Antony Coukos. Additionally, we will share general news and updates surrounding Harry Potter movies, multimedia and attractions. Featured exhibits will include Antony's detailed original photography and reviews of certain Harry Potter products like the Ultimate Edition DVDs and limited edition merchandise. Enjoy!